Safety device for elevators.



No. 725,132. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

v E. H. PRICE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

E. H. PRICE. I $APETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIOA'IION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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M661 Midm W No. 725,132. PATENTED APR. '14, 1903.

E. H. PRICE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR. ELEVATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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EDWARD HOSKYN PRICE, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

sP-ncImeA'rron forming part of Letters Eatent No. 725,132, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed April 16, 1902.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

BeitknownthatLEDwARD HosKYNPRIcE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety devices for elevators of that class in which the elevator-door cannot be opened until the elevator-car is opposite one of the floors of the building and once a door is opened-the car cannot be started again until the door is closed.

The object of the invention is to provide a more simple and efficient device and to improve the Various details of construction.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of an elevator-well illustrating the application of the invention and the various circuits. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of the shipper-lock. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation'of the same. Figs. 4: and 5 are enlarged detail views, in side and front elevation, respectively, of the contact-plates on the elevator-well. Fig. 6 is a detail of the contact-brush carried by the elevator for cooperating with the contactplates shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the door locking and releasing mechanism, and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a side elevation and sectional elevation of a modified form of shipper locking and releasing device.

In the drawings similar reference-letters, denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The guide-post of an elevator-well is indicated at A and a plurality of floors at A A and A of which there may be any number, three being shown for convenience. The well-doors are indicated at B and the car or The car may of course be raised and lowered by any suitable and well-known means, and as this forms no part of the present'invention it has not been shown herein.

A set of contact-strips D is mounted on the guide-post A opposite each floor, and a. contact 0, preferably in the form of a brush,

$erial No. 103,133. (No model.)

as shown in Fig. 6, is carried by the car and adapted to electrically connect the strips, thereby closing a circuit in the manner hereinafter described to lock the shipper-shaft. The shipper or hand rope is shown at G pas ing over a suitable pulleyG on the shippershaft, which controls the motor in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art. Bolted or otherwise secured to this shaft H is a cam or disk H having a notch or recess H which is designed to be engaged by a gravitypawl L, which forms the armature of an electromagnet L It will thus be seen that when the pawl L is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the shipper-shaft is held against movement, and as this position corresponds to the inactive position of the motor the car will be held against movement. If, however, the magnet is energized, the armature-pawl L will be raised out of the notch, leaving the shippershaft H free to be rotated to start the motor. The coils of this magnet L however, are in a circuit which is always open, except when the doors are shut, whereby the elevator-car is incapable of movement when any door is open. This circuit starting from the battery (indicated at M) passes by wires W W to the magnet L and thence by wires W W to one of a pair of contacts F opposite the first elevator-door. From the other contact F -it is continued by Wire WV" to a similar contact F at the next floor, and so on to all the floors, returning by wire W to the battery. A contact-pin F, operated by each door, is designed to electrically connect these contacts F only when the door is closed, thus preventing the energizing of the magnet L when any door is open. In order, however, to prevent the door from being opened except when the elevatorcar is in line with one of the floors, I provide each door with a locking device controlled by a-separate circuit. This circuit may be traced as follows: Commencing at battery M it passes by wires W .W through contact-plates D and brush 0, (provided the car is in theright position,) through wire W locking device, (incated at E in Fig. 1,) thence through wires W and W contact K, and wire W back to the battery. Thus it will be seen that no current can flow through this circuit to unlock the electrically-controlled lock at E until the car is in such position that the brushes O electrically connect the contact-plates D. As a further safeguard and to prevent the door being opened while the car is in proper position, but still moving, I insert in the circuit at K a circuit-breaker,'which comprises a contact-arm K, connected with the wire W and a contact plate or point 1-1 carried by the shipper-shaft and connected with wire W the parts being so located that the circuit is broken at this point, except when the shipper-shaft is in position to render the motor inactive.

The locking device for holding the door against being opened is shown in detail in Fig. 7 and comprises a suitable casing Y, having an opening y to receive a staple 9, carried by the door B. An arm j is pivoted within the casing and is normally held up in the position shown in Fig. 7 by a spring e Pivoted to a lug j on this lever is a detent 6 having an inclined face which causes it, with arm j, to be depressed by the staple g as the door is closed until it springs into engagement with the eye of the staple. An armature-arm K is adapted to normally project over the tail of the detent to prevent it from rocking on its pivot. A magnet Z is located in the lock-circuit before described, and when the elevator-car arrives in the proper position and has been stopped and the circuit thus closed the magnet is energized, attracting the armature K. Outward pressure on the door will then rock the detent e on its pivot to release the staple, the detent being returned to normal position by spring 6 It is desirable that the circuit be broken through the magnet Z after the door has been opened,thus preventing the exhausting of the battery when any door is left standing open for anylength of time, as when the elevator is not used very frequently. I prefer to accomplish this by the mechanism illustrated at the upper part of Fig. 7, using for this purpose the same bolt F, which makes and breaks the connection between wires W and W as hereinbefore referred to.

The contacts F comprise spring-fingers secured to and suitably insulated from a bearing-sleeve 61, within which the pin F is guided. A second set of contact-fingers a is carried in a similar manner bya sleeved, these contact-fingers being electrically connected with Wire W and wire of magnet 2. The pin or bolt is of conducting material and has a section of insulating material c. When the door is open, a spring 6 holds the bolt in the position shown in Fig. 7, and the insulating-section lies between the fingers a, and the end of the bolt is out of contact with the fingers F and thus'both circuits. are broken. An insulating-plate c is secured on the door B, which when the door is closed contacts with the head of the bolt, forcing it backward against the tension of the spring until the metallic portions of the bolt engage the fingers F and a, electrically connecting them in a manner that will be obvious.

A keyhole h in the lock-casing permits of the insertion of a key, by which the armature of magnet2 may be operated in case the electric 1 circuit through said magnet becomes inoperative from any cause.

I have shown a preferred form of device for locking the shipper-shaft against movement in Figs. Sand 9. In this form I secure to the shipper-shaft H a cam at, having abutments 1 and 1 The cam is provided with a hub 2 upon which is mounted a supporting bar or member 3. This bar is held against turning with the cam by a suitable brace 4, connected with any suitable stationary part. (Not shown.) A bracket 3*, extending upward from this support 3, carries a pair of electromagnets L corresponding to the magnet L of Figs. 2 and 3. Upon a shaft 5 are pivoted a pair of independent pawls 6, having portions 6, designed to act as armatures to the magnets, and having also noses or projections 6 designed to coact with the abutments 1 and 1 on the cam. Thus when the magnets are not energized the pawls will drop by gravity into engagement with the abutments, while when the magnets are excited by the passage of an electric current the pawls will be raised to permit the cam to be rotated.

From the foregoing description-the operation of my invention will be clear, but may be briefly stated as follows: Supposing all the doors to be closed, the shipper-shaft is free to be operated and the elevator may be started in either direction. When any floor is reached, the brushes 0 on the elevator connect the plates D; but the circuit through the car-door lock cannot be completed to unlock the door until the shipper-shaft is in such position as to lock the motor. When, therefore, the elevator-car is-at a standstill opposite one of the floors of the building, the door may be opened. Immediately upon the opening of the door, however, the circuit through the magnet L is broken, releasing the pawl L and locking the shipper-shaft against movement, and the circuit remains broken until the door is closed, preventing the starting of the elevator as long as the door is opened. Simultaneously with the breaking of the circuit through the magnet L the lock-circuit is broken and remains broken until the door is again closed. After the door is closed the -"circuits are reestablished to start the elevator, and as soon as the car moves the circuit through the lock is again broken, whereby the doors are again held against being unlocked until the car is stopped opposite another floor. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters'Patout, is-

1. The combination with the shipper or controlling shaft for controlling themovement of the elevator, of a member secured thereon having a recess, a locking-detent for engaging said recess, an electromagnet for raising said lever, an electric circuit for energizing ICO said magnet, circuit-closing means controlled by the movement of the door, a lock for said door, an electromagnet for operating said lock, an electric circuit for energizing said magnet, circuit-controlling devices for closing said circuit only when the elevator has stopped opposite said door, and means for breaking said second circuit as soon as the door is open, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a part controlling the movement of an elevator, of an electrically-controlled device for holding said part against movement, an elevator-door, a lock therefor, an electromagnet for releasing said lock, an electric circuit for said magnet, circuit-closing means for closing the circuit through said magnet when the elevator-car is stopped opposite said door, and a circuitbreaker for breaking said circuit as soon as the door is open, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a part controlling the movement of an elevator, of a detent device for holding said part against movement, an electromagnet for operating said detent, an electric circuit including said magnet, an elevator-door, a lock therefor, an electromagnet for operating said lock, a second circuit for energizing said magnet, circuit-closing means for closing the second circuit when the car is stopped opposite the door, and a circuit-breaker for both said circuits operated by the movement of the door, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a part controlling the movement of an elevator, of a detent device for holding said part against movement, an electromagnet for disengaging said detent, a normally closed circuit including said magnet, an elevator-door, a lock therefor, an electromagnet for operating said lock, an independent electric circuit for energizing said magnet, circuit-closing means for closing said independent circuit when the car is opposite a door, and a circuit-breaker at each door operated by the movement of the door for simultaneously breaking both circuits, substantially as described. I

5. The combination with a part controlling the movement of an elevator, of a detent device for holding said part against movement, an electromagnet for disengaging said detent, a normally closed circuit including said magnet, an elevator-door, a lock therefor, an electric magnet for operating said lock, an independent electric circuit for energizing said magnet, circuit-closing means for closing said independent circuit when the car is opposite a door, and a circ nit-breaker at each door operated by the movement of the door for simultaneously breaking both circuits, said circuitbreaker comprising two pairs of contacts, and a sliding spring-pressed bolt movable between said contacts by the contact of the door and having an insulated portion,substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with the part controlling the movement of the elevator having an electrical lockin g device, and the electrically-controlled well-door lock, of means for simultaneously breaking both circuit-s when the door is open comprising a casing, two pairs of insulated spring-contacts therein, a bolt of conducting material sliding within the casing inline with the contacts, said bolt having an insulated portion, a spring tending to force said bolt outwardly with the insulating portion between one pair of contacts and the end of the .bolt free from said other set, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the shaft controlling the movement of an elevator, of a member secured on said shaft having a curved face and a recess, apair of oppositely-turnedpawls engaging opposite walls of said recess, said pawls having extended portions forming armatures and an electromagnet for each armature, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. EDWARD HOSKYN PRICE. Witnesses:

DAVID DAVIDSON, H. F. SIMS. 

